Hurricane Harvey Threatens Travel Along Texas Coast

Hurricane Harvey is poised to disrupt travel along Texas' Gulf Coast this weekend.

According to Weather.com, the storm is rapidly intensifying over warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico and could potentially be the first Category 3 or stronger hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. since 2005.

As of Thursday afternoon, the storm's center is more than 300 miles southeast of the Texas coast with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. Harvey is forecast to make landfall over Corpus Christi, Texas either late Friday or early Saturday.

[CALLOUT]

A current 85mph category 1 hurricane, #HurricaneHarvey is now expected to be a strong category 3 hurricane at landfall. pic.twitter.com/jnyD0OYbaB

- The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) August 24, 2017

Airlines have already begun to waive change fees for travelers in Harvey's path. Major carriers, including each of the Big Four, have issued flexible rebooking policies for passengers scheduled to fly into or out of the Gulf region.

The waivers cover a handful of destinations on or near the coast, including Austin, Houston, New Orleans and San Antonio.

We've issued a travel waiver for August 25-26 due to the forecasted path of Tropical Depression Harvey. More here: https://t.co/isHlwr9uiB

- Delta (@Delta) August 23, 2017

In anticipation of Tropical Depression #Harvey, a travel waiver is in place for the U.S. Gulf Coast: https://t.co/pyXEh3LCwX.

- United (@united) August 23, 2017

Scheduled service may be disrupted due to weather conditions related to Tropical Storm Harvey. Flight status/rebook: https://t.co/jXMP0kp00fpic.twitter.com/9mddRSaYDD

- Southwest Airlines (@SouthwestAir) August 24, 2017

Those traveling to/from/thru AUS, SAT, IAH, or MSY between 8/24 and 8/27 may be eligible to make itinerary changes: https://t.co/bnVM2DTtJIpic.twitter.com/AqCyyE8nTb

- Frontier Airlines (@FlyFrontier) August 23, 2017

**ALERT:** A Weather Advisory may be affecting your travel route. Click here for more details: https://t.co/NBvLO5Y0copic.twitter.com/4jIKUeTkUj

- Spirit Airlines (@SpiritAirlines) August 24, 2017

Travelers are always encouraged to check their flight status before arriving at the airport.

The National Hurricane Center has also issued its first-ever public storm surge warning for a portion of the Texas coast stretching from Port Mansfield to San Luis Pass Island. The alert means life-threatening storm surge is expected in the area within the next 36 hours.

Carnival Cruise Line said it will continue to monitor Harvey. The cruise line has several ships scheduled to depart Galveston, Texas this weekend.

We will continue to monitor the storm's path and will provide you with another update tomorrow at 12:00 PM.

- Carnival Cruise Line (@CarnivalCruise) August 24, 2017

Royal Caribbean International is also monitoring the storm.

Hi there! As of now, we're sailing as planned. We'll continue to monitor the storm closely. If there are any changes, we'll notify you. -Ana

- Royal Caribbean (@RoyalCaribbean) August 24, 2017

Harvey forced Norwegian Cruise Line to alter the Norwegian Escape's itinerary this past weekend.

In addition to damaging winds and crippling storm surge, Harvey has the potential to cause devastating flash flooding in some places and create travel headaches into next week if it stalls out as meteorologists anticipate.

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Some coastal cities and counties, including Port Aransas, have begun issuing mandatory evacuations orders for residents and visitors. Citing a local tourism agency, Weather.com reported that Padre Island National Seashore in Corpus Christi closed its beaches Thursday afternoon.

Travelers in Harvey's path can click here to view the Texas Department of Transportation's hurricane evacuation guide.

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